Otago development team coach Janine Southby is hopeful rather than confident her side will successfully defend the Lois Muir Challenge trophy.
The province won the inaugural competition last year and has retained the bulk of that side this season, but the personnel it has lost takes with them a lot of experience.
"We're lacking a bit of experience this year," Southby acknowledged.
"We've lost the likes of Anna Molineaux, Hannah Broederlow and Millie Lees, which is an experienced player in every area of the court.
''That's a blow but there have been some talented youngsters come in to the squad."
Exciting Southland mid-courter Hayley Saunders, Shannon Francois and shooter Kirsten Craig join the campaign this season.
"[Shannon] comes from an athletics background and has been in New Zealand talent ID programmes, and was a New Zealand secondary schools triallist.
''She has been a shooter but is mainly playing in the midcourt now.
"Kirsten Craig (18) is a young shooter who has come down from Palmerston North and has been in ID programmes as well."
Otago's build-up has not been ideal.
Missing its four New Zealand under-21 players, the side was humbled 72-34 by the Southern Steel ANZ Championship team.
Otago starts its defence against North this morning and will play Auckland-Waitakere this afternoon.
Tomorrow it will play Counties-Manukau.
All the games are in Wellington this weekend.
Otago will play Southland in Invercargill next weekend and then the competition will take a brief break over Easter.
Dunedin will host all the teams the following weekend, with Rotorua hosting the final round of matches in late April.
Otago team for Lois Muir Challenge:
Olivia Bates, Danielle Calnan, Greir Campbell, Emily Close, Kirsten Craig, Shannon Francois, Claire Kersten, Emma Moynihan, Jessica Moulds, Kate Parsons, Jaimee Power, Hayley Saunders.
